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Latino Perspectives

Four Reasons Latinas Need to Be on Top

by Elizabeth Rios

A young, curly-haired Latina woman with a bright smile, wearing a white tank top against a blurred blue background

We have a lot of glass shattering yet to do.

Sure, we have seen great women leaders on “top” so to speak as Presidents or Prime Ministers in other countries, as Fortune 500 CEOs, but we still need much work here in the U.S. especially for Latinas.

As a leader in various fields, one thing I have seen, have grown accustomed to and quite frankly am tired of is that, it’s a man’s world. While I feel there is room for both men and women at the table, women usually don’t get invited to the dinner party as we have been reminded by Sheryl Sandberg in her book Lean In. Thankfully while not as often as we’d like, strong women find their way to the top anyway, it just takes too long to get there. And here’s where you might be able to help.

If there are talented, committed, qualified Latina women in your company, give them an opportunity to shine. Latinas more often than not get overlooked too many times to count. While I am grateful that there are even lists of powerful women in business (or any field) and I know the journey might not have been easy considering Latinas have to deal with so much cultural baggage on the personal front related to being working woman, I say again, we need more Latina women on those lists. The Latinas I’ve seen that have actually made it to the top of a company happened to be its founder.

Having a Latina leading the charge at your business doesn’t seem like a bad business move either. Latinos in general are known for inclusive, people-oriented, socially responsible, and life-affirming leadership as documented in Juana Bordas 2013 book entitled The Power of Latino Leadership: Culture, Inclusion and Contribution.

But let me share some other reasons- Why Latinas should be heading more businesses:

1. Latinas lead household spending

Latinas have power in the home leading the consumer spending and decisions of the Latino spending power which is said to be in the trillion dollar mark. Translation: Latinas who see Latinas leading business give those businesses a second look where they otherwise would have continued on their way.

2. Latinos are the majority

Even more data is available documenting that Latinos are the majority with an estimated 1 out of every four Americans that will be of Hispanic descent by 2050. Translation: Whether you target Latinos for your services or not, when you look out the window, we are there. When we look inside your company, we should see we are there too, preferably leading a few things.

3. Latinas are getting their education

For the first time, Latinas are exceeding non-Hispanic females in college enrollment.Translation: The pool for qualified, college educated women is getting more brown.

4. Promote or Prepare

If you are in a position to promote a Latina to a position she is qualified for at the top levels of your organization, do it. If not, be prepared to perhaps face her or another Latina as your competitor. Over the last 15 years more Latinas have said goodbye to the 9-5 and became entrepreneurs. Translation: It is better to have a smart, educated Latina working with you than against you.

We need more Latina women on top and it will take a village to get them there. Your businesses,(especially Latino-owned or Latino-targeted businesses) need to see the value and not just the beauty of the Latina woman and give them their opportunity to shine in the boardrooms of America. We have a lot of glass shattering yet to do.

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